A Curse Has Been Laid Upon Saltstar
by A Beautiful Oblivion
Summary: Sometimes forbidden romance is the best kind. As in Clan leader meeting secretly with a loner. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Read and review please!
1. Allegiances

**Just have to put all the cats, so if you find this boring, just skip to the next chapter.**

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**THUNDERCLAN**

**Leader**

**Saltstar- **She-cat with white fur and ice blue eyes.

**Deputy**

**Stripedpelt- **Gray tom with darker gray stripes.  
**Apprentice, Sandpaw**

**Warriors**

**Emberheart-** Dark orange tom with green eyes. Missing one ear.

**Nightsky- **Black she-cat (with gray patches), green eyes.  
**Apprentice, Smokepaw**

**Wildfur- **Black, long-haired tom, with fur he can't seem to get under control.  
**Apprentice, Butterpaw**

**Gingerstripe- **Light orange she-cat, with orange stripes.

**Lionwing- **Orange, black, and white tom with dark green eyes.

**Snowyheart- **White she-cat with amber eyes.

**Thornwing- **Light brown tom with blue eyes.  
**Apprentice, Robinpaw**

**Graytail- **Gray tom with a bushy tail and amber eyes.

**Medicine Cat**

**Acidclaw- **Blind tom with a black pelt.  
**Apprentice, Honeypaw**

**Apprentices**

**Sandpaw- **Orange she-cat with green eyes.

**Smokepaw- **Gray tom with a white tail-tip.

**Robinpaw- **Brown, tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**Honeypaw- **Gold she-cat, in training to become a medicine cat.

**Butterpaw- **Honeypaw's twin sister, gold pelt, with green eyes.

**Queens**

**Darkflower- **Black she-cat with green eyes.  
**Kits- **Cinderkit (female), Marshkit (male)

**Snowstorm- **White she-cat.  
**Kits- **Berrykit (female), Birdkit (male), Orangekit (male)

**Elders**

**Frostcloud- **White-she cat with blue eyes.

**Swiftfoot- **Blind brown tom.

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

**Leader**

**Bramblestar- **Brown tabby tom.

**Deputy**

**Yellowcloud- **Dull golden she-cat.

**Medicine Cat**

**Silverfur- **Silver she-cat.

* * *

**WINDCLAN**

**Leader**

**Littlestar- **Small blue-gray tom.

**Deputy**

**Rockfur- **Dark gray tom.

**Medicine Cat**

**Oakheart- **Reddish-brown tom.

* * *

**SHADOWCLAN**

**Leader**

**Earthstar- **Brown tabby tom.

**Deputy**

**Wolfheart- **Large dark brown tom.

**Medicine Cat**

**Grasspelt- **Brown tabby she-cat.

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE OF CLANS**

**Curse- **Huge black tom with deep scars on his chest, and amber eyes.

* * *

**NOTE: I didn't put all the cats from Shadow, Wind, and RiverClan because I got kind of tired of making up a bunch of names.**


	2. Curse

Saltstar jumped up onto High Rock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath High Rock!" she yowled. Warriors, apprentices, and elders emerged from their dens, blinking sleep from their eyes. She blinked, remembering it was just barely dawn.

Lionpaw, an apprentice, ran up to the High Rock and sat under it, coat and dark green eyes shining. His mother, Snowyheart, gazed at him with pride. Saltstar looked down at her apprentice proudly.

The cats had gathered beneath High Rock. Saltstar sat up straighter and addressed them.

"Lionpaw is now old enough to receive his warrior name. Lionpaw, step forward."

He attempted to calmly step closer, but almost tripped. Saltstar smiled warmly at him.

"You have been training as an apprentice for six moons now, and it is time for you to receive a warrior name. Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and stay loyal to your Clan at all costs?"

He nodded quickly, then meowed, "I do."

"Then, by the power of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. Lionpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Lionwing." She jumped down and rested her head on his. Lionwing licked her shoulder. She could feel him quivering with excitement.

Saltstar stepped back and dismissed her Clan. Lionwing ran off to the apprentice den, then skidded to a stop, and changed direction, heading toward the warrior den.

Stripedpelt, the ThunderClan deputy, stepped up to her and dipped his powerful head. "Saltstar, congratulations on your apprentice becoming a warrior."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Thanks, Stripedpelt. Now, you should arrange the dawn patrols, right?" He looked up, nodded, and padded away.

Standing, Saltstar padded through the bramble tunnel that led out to the forest. Planning on going hunting, she raced out, going where her nose told her to.

An unfamiliar scent hit her nose and she skidded to a stop, in the middle of chasing a mouse. Wrinkling her nose against the powerful smell, she padded in the direction it was coming from.

Crouching in the bushes, she spotted a strange cat grooming himself in a clearing. She hissed softly and jumped out of the bushes, ears flat.

The cat jumped to his paws and whirled around, hissing. Then he saw her and he hesitated, staring at her with wide amber eyes.

Pricking her ears for a few seconds, Saltstar tilted her head and examined the cat. He was huge, maybe the biggest cat she had ever seen. His pelt was black, and he had deep scars on his chest.

Shaking her head, Saltstar crouched and hissed again, pinning her ears back. The cat gazed calmly at her, not seeming to be bothered by her bristling fur and bared teeth.

"Hello," he meowed nonchalantly. She blinked, surprised. Wasn't he afraid of her?

"Get out of ThunderClan territory!" she hissed at him.

He tilted his head. "What's your name?" he asked, ignoring her threat.

Still surprised, Saltstar sat up, narrowing her eyes at him - he looked like a loner.

"Saltstar," she mewed, suspicous. "You?"

"I am Curse," he stated, looking happier because she told him her name.

She sat up, letting her fur lie flat, and raising her ears. "Didn't you hear me before? I told you to get out of our territory."

Curse nodded. She sighed. "So why aren't you leaving? Other warriors would have ripped your fur off a lot quicker than me," she growled, unsheathing her claws.

He nodded again. "Alright, I'll leave." He turned and padded into the trees.

Sheathing her claws, Saltstar was gripped by an immense curiosity towards the strange cat.

* * *

Two nights later, Saltstar sat in her den, thinking about Curse - again. She lifted her head, unable to sleep, and padded out into the camp. The moonlight filtered down through the trees, bathing the clearing in a white light.

The shadows almost hid his black pelt - until he stepped out into the moonlight. Saltstar jumped and hissed softly.

"Curse!" she yelped. "I told you to leave!"

He shrugged. "I couldn't stay away."

She blinked, surprised. "Why?"

"I think you're interesting," he meowed, sitting and gazing at her.

"Me? Or my Clan?" she asked, confused.

He chuckled. "You, of course. I could care less about your Clan."

She tilted her head, curious. "But I already told you, you _can't _be here. If any other warriors see me talking to you..." she trailed off.

* * *

Sandpaw couldn't sleep. Then she heard voices in the clearing. Sticking her head out of the apprentice den, she saw Saltstar talking to a strange black cat. Pulling her head back in, she nudged her friend, Robinpaw, awake.

"Wha?" Robinpaw murmured sleepily, opening one eye. Sandpaw nudged her again.

"Come on, Robinpaw, follow me." Robinpaw reluctantly rose to her paws and followed her friend toward the back of the den.

"Where are we going?" she asked, confused.

Sandpaw chuckled. "Out the back way, of course."

"But you still haven't told me why," her friend protested as they squeezed out from their den. Sandpaw shushed her.

"Shh, you'll see. Now, be quiet." The two apprentices padded around the camp until they came to a bush that would hide both of them, and still give them a good view of the cats talking.

They crouched down to listen.

* * *

"If any other warriors see me, they'll rip my fur off. I know," Curse mewed, then stopped, sniffing, ears pricked.

Saltstar looked around, wondering what he was listening to. He growled softly. "I believe we're being watched," he meowed quietly.

She whipped her head around, alarmed. Catching a scent on the wind, she sighed. "It's okay, I know them," she whispered to the loner. Raising her voice, she called out, "Sandpaw! Robinpaw! I know you're there! Come out!"

The two apprentices slowly stepped out from behind a bush. Saltstar hissed at them. "Go back to your dens!"

Robinpaw nodded and immediately ran back to her den, but Sandpaw stayed, gazing at Curse. "How come _he's _still here?" she asked, flicking her tail at him.

Saltstar hissed again. "I said go to your den, or you'll be taking care of the elders for the next moon!" she threatened. Sandpaw nodded quickly, and raced after her friend.

Saltstar looked back to Curse. "See? You're lucky those were just apprentices. Now go!"

He looked hurt. "But I want to see you again!"

She blinked, then sighed. "Alright, fine. We can meet up... somewhere. Just follow my scent tomorrow, at moonhigh." She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but a part of her felt excited.

Curse nodded happily, then turned and raced off into the night.

* * *

**I got a random idea, so I decided to make a story out of it. All of the characters in this story are mine, and this story is set in the original ThunderClan territory.**


	3. Thunderstar's Warning

**I'll continue to update this even though I feel like no one's reading it, I guess.**

**Note: It's late leafbare (End of February)**

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"Saltstar!" Emberheart burst into her den, panting. "Orangekit is missing!" he mewed frantically.

Saltstar sat up from where she had been grooming herself. Emberheart was the kit's father; he looked very distraught. His good ear was twitching madly.

"How long ago did Snowstorm realize he was gone?" she asked, padding out into the brisk leafbare air, Emberheart at her heels.

"As soon as she noticed, she told me. I immediately came here and told you." he replied. "We have to find him!" His mew rose in pitch.

Saltstar called to Nightsky, the best tracker in the Clan. "Nightsky," she informed the black she-cat, "Orangekit has gone missing. Since you have the best nose of all the cats here, I want you to try and find him. Emberheart and myself will come and try to help however we can." Emberheart nodded vigorously.

"What's going on?" Acidclaw padded out of his den, Honeypaw, his apprentice, beside him. He turned his sightless eyes on the group gathered in the clearing.

"Orangekit is gone!" Emberheart sounded more desperate every heartbeat that passed.

The medicine cat seemed to be thinking for a minute. "I should come."

"No," the dark orange tom protested. "It's too dangerous." Saltstar knew he was thinking that the blind cat would slow them down.

Acidclaw chuckled. "I'm tougher than I look, Emberheart. I'm coming," he meowed firmly.

Saltstar dipped her head to him. "Thank you, Acidclaw."

Emberheart shifted from paw to paw, obviously wanting to get going. Nightsky picked up Orangekit's scent near the bramble tunnel, and the four cats ran quickly though the forest, their paw drumming on the snow.

As they ran, she thought about Curse. They had been meeting each other, every other moonhigh, for about two moons now. She knew the Clan suspected what she was doing, thanks to Sandpaw. The apprentice had told every cat who would listen about the loner. The cats had eventually put the pieces together after a few of them caught Saltstar sneaking out. As Clan leader, she didn't need an excuse for leaving at night, but that didn't stop the cats from becoming suspicious.

Nightsky stopped, nose to the ground, at the ShadowClan border. "He went this way," she stated, raising her head. Emberheart stared, dumbfounded, while Saltstar felt the same on the inside. How did the kit even get this far?

"Well, I guess we have to go find him then," Acidclaw meowed, shouldering his way through the undergrowth, snow showering off the bushes. Saltstar began to protest, but Emberheart quickly followed the medicine cat.

"Come on!" he mewed. She sighed, then followed.

* * *

They padded warily through ShadowClan territory, glancing nervously over their shoulders. Only Acidclaw remained calm, fixing his blind gaze ahead of him. Even Nightsky stopped every few pawsteps to carefully scent the air, searching for Orangekit's scent.

Finding him wasn't too hard. They followed the fear-scent that clung to every tree they passed, and after searching they found him, huddled under a snow-covered bush. Emberheart ran up to him, licking him all over, then stepped back to let Acidclaw examine his kit.

"He's not hurt, just cold," he concluded after nosing him. "But we should still get him back as soon as we can, before he freezes." Emberheart nodded and gently pickd up the kit by his scruff.

"I can walk, you know!" the kit protested, but shivered and let his father carry him.

They passed the ThunderClan border, and the group relaxed as soon as they set paw in their own territory. Saltstar bit her lip as they passed the place where she and Curse had been meeting, a group of trees packed close together, then gasped when she saw glowing amber eyes in the shadows.

"Uh... go on ahead without me," she stammered to her Clanmates. "I want to do some hunting." Nightsky and Emberheart nodded and padded off, Emberheart still carrying Orangekit, but Acidclaw stayed, his sightless gaze burning a hole through Saltstar.

"You have to stop this," he mewed quietly.

"Stop what?" she asked innocently, hoping he wasn't going to say what she thought he was.

"Seeing that loner. I have a feeling that something very bad is going to happen if you continue," he warned. The amber eyes narrowed.

"I... Shouldn't you be getting ready to visit Highstones tonight?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. It was almost sunset, anyway.

Acidclaw smiled, almost a sad smile. "Alright." He dipped his head. "Goodbye, Saltstar." He sounded sad as he padded away.

Saltstar bounded into the trees as soon as he was out of sight. Just as she thought, Curse was standing there. He tried to touch noses with her, but she ducked away. The loner shrunk back, hurt and confusion in his eyes.

"Hello," he greeted curtly. She sighed, hoping she was doing the right thing.

"I can't do this anymore!" she burst out. "I can't keep betraying my Clan, and I'm pretty sure almost everyone already knows." Curse just kept staring while she talked. "This is the last time you'll ever see me," she meowed quietly, not looking into his eyes. Hurridly, she touched noses with him, and pelted away through the forest, leaving Curse and her love behind.

* * *

Acidclaw nosed his way through the tunnel at Highstones. He could feel Honeypaw's pelt brushing his, and could hear the breathing of the other three medicine cats. They wound through the tunnnel until they reached the Moonstone. Acidclaw could almost see it.

The cats halted. Before they bent down to touch their noses to it, Acidclaw cleared his throat.

"Before we share tongues with StarClan," he began, "I would like to hold a speacial ceremony." He heard Honeypaw draw in her breath. "Honeypaw has been my apprentice for a long time now, and it is time she was made a full medicine cat." His apprentice was trembling with excitement. "I, Acidclaw, medicine cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to accept my apprentice as a medicine cat.

"Honeypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Honeyfrost." Acidclaw rested his head on Honeyfrost's head, and she licked his shoulder.

"Now," he mewed. "Time to share tongues." He heard the other medicine cats shuffle around to lay down on the stone floor. Acidclaw did the same, touching his nose to the cold stone of Moonstone. The floor fell away from him, and he felt like he were floating in darkness.

Then shapes began to form before him. Thunderstar, first leader of ThunderClan, appeared before him. Acidclaw blinked. What was so serious that Thunderstar would have to show himself to him?

"Acidclaw," Thunderstar began, raising his mighty head. "I have come to warn you of dangers yet to come." The orange cat stared at him with unblinking amber eyes. "Today you tried to stop it, but to no avail."

"What's the warning? What do you have to tell me?" Acidclaw asked, curious and yet dread was clawing at his heart.

"A Curse has been laid upon Saltstar" Thunderstar rumbled, before fading away.

Acidclaw blinked; darkness surrounded him once more. He was laying on the cold stone floor beside the Moonstone. Honeyfrost was stirring beside him, and the other medicine cats were doing the same.

Thunderstar's warning could only mean one thing: Saltstar could not see Curse ever again.

* * *

**I KNOW I got the medicine cat ceremony wrong, I just know it. Sorry to the total of 8 people who have read this chapter as of January 9, 2010. I know, it's pathetic.**


	4. Delivery

Curse woke from his sleep, excited at the fact he was going to meet Saltstar that night. Then his heart sunk; he wasn't going to meet her. Ever again. He hadn't seen her in at least a moon now.

Padding out of his makeshift den on the border of what Saltstar told him was ShadowClan. He could never get used to their scent.

Saltstar had had an odd scent as well. It smelled faintly of milk, like she had been around kits.

Dismissing it as nothing, he broke into a run and chased after a mouse. After killing and eating it, he couldn't hold his need anymore. He had to see her.

Running quickly through ShadowClan, he made it through their territory without being spotted. He made it to ThunderClan, with the border that smelled almost like Saltstar, but not quite. Crouching in the bushes, he waited for a patrol to come by. Saltstar had told him that ShadowClan was the most heavily guarded border, so he didn't have to wait long.

A patrol came by. Curse hissed and crouched back further into the bush when the white she-cat wasn't in it. However, one of the younger cats heard him. She told the others to go ahead; she wanted to do some hunting.

Curse looked around. Should he try and run, or fight?

"I know you're in there!" called the she-cat. "I recognize your scent from before." Before? Curse blinked. Lifting his nose, he sniffed. It was one of the apprentices who was spying on him and Saltstar the second time they had met. What was her name again? Sandpaw?

Standing, he called, "Hello, Sandpaw." She seemed surprised that he knew her name.

She crouched and hissed. "Get out of our territory, loner," she spat.

He shrugged, the stepped across the ShadowClan border. "Is this better?" he mewed innocently.

Sandpaw flattened her ears, then deciding better of it, she turned and ran to catch up with her patrol. "Don't let me catch you on our territory again!" she called over her shoulder.

"Or what?" he muttered.

* * *

Saltstar knew what was happening. She could feel it inside of her, and she knew that Acidclaw had already figured it out. Every time he saw her, he just gave her a sad look and padded away.

She heard the bramble tunnel rustling and knew her dawn patrol was returning. She just sighed and rolled over in her nest. Getting to her paws, she figured she'd better go find out what they had to say.

Stripedpelt led the patrol, with Thornwing and his apprentice, Robinpaw. Sandpaw had also gone along, but she wasn't with the two toms and the other apprentice.

The ThunderClan deputy padded up to her. "Nothing to report," he mewed. "Just ShadowClan marking their borders well, as usual."

Saltstar cocked her head. "Where's Sandpaw?" she asked.

"She went hunting," Stripedpelt replied. After he had said it, his apprentice burst through the bramble tunnel.

"Ah, there she is," her mentor mewed. _But she has no fresh-kill_, Saltstar thought.

Sandpaw spotted her and ran over. "I saw that loner!" she mewed excitedly.

Saltstar's blood turned to ice. If Sandpaw said anything about Curse, the rest of the Clan would know what she had been up to.

"Come to my den," she muttered to the apprentice. Sandpaw ran ahead, beating Saltstar to her den.

"I saw him!" she repeated, sitting. "He was in our territory! I chased him away!" She tilted her head. "You _do _know who I'm talking about, right? That loner you were talking to! The one you didn't chase off?"

Saltstar hissed, flattening her ears. Sandpaw flinched backwards, green eyes wide open in fear. "Of _course _I know who you're talking about!" she hissed. "What were you doing away from your mentor, anyway?"

The apprentice opened her mouth to argue, but Saltstar cut her off. "Take care of the elders for the next eight sunrises! And no training, no patrols, no hunting, no nothing!" she spat. "Maybe then you'll learn your lesson. Now, out!" she growled, turning her back on the young she cat.

* * *

Sandpaw stomped out, fuming. Why was Saltstar so angry with her? Well, she _had _lied about chasing him out, but surely her leader couldn't know about that?

Her friend, Robinpaw, bounced up to her. "Hey, Sandpaw!" she mewed cheerfully, then her tone became more serious as she saw her friend's face. "What happened in there? Thornwing told me to go hunting again, but I had to wait until I saw you."

"Saltstar is making me take care of the elders for the next eight sunrises," Sandpaw growled. Robinpaw gasped.

"For what? Doing what you're supposed to? All you did was chase off that loner," the brown apprentice pointed out.

"But it was the _same_loner Saltstar was talking with! And have you seen her lately? She's getting pretty..." Sandpaw hesitated, searching for the right word. "..._big_. And she smells like milk all the time. What could it mean?" She eyed Saltstar as the ThunderClan leader padded out of the bramble tunnel with Graytail.

* * *

Curse followed his nose, searching for ThunderClan camp. Scenting two cats, he crouched down and tried to distinguish the scents. One of them he didn't know, but the other one was Saltstar, but she smelt... different again.

The two cats padded through the ferns across the clearing from him. Saltstar stopped, whiskers twitching.

"Is something wrong?" the gray cat asked, confused. She shook her head and continued walking beside him. They were talking about something he didn't care about; patrols, fresh-kill supplies, threats from the other Clans, etc.

After they disappeared into the trees on the other side of the clearing, Curse decided to follow them and see if he could get Saltstar alone again. He waiting a few heartbeats before following them, paws light on the mossy ground.

They walked in a huge circle, going back to their camp. Curse bit his lip, thinking of ways to get the white she-cat by herself. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the two cats pad into their camp.

He also didn't notice himself padding in after them.

The entire Clan froze, some right in the middle of licking or eating. Saltstar whipped around, hissing, then stopped when she saw him. A striped gray cat stood, glaring at Curse. A light brown tom looked between Curse and Saltstar, then hissed, flattening his ears. The rest of the cats did the same. Only Saltstar remained unhostile, staring at him with wide blue eyes. His eyes flicked down to her belly. It hung down, much larger than usual.

"It's that loner!" Sandpaw bounded out from a den that smelled of mouse bile. She stopped when she saw the Clan hissing at him.

The same gray tom that had glared at him before stepped forward. "Get out of here!" he hissed.

A black cat padded out from a den that smelled of herbs. His eyes were milky white; he was blind, but he turned his eyes on Curse as if he could see him.

"Hush, Stripedpelt," he addressed the cat who had hissed at him. Then, turning back to Curse, he mewed, "It's you."

Curse blinked. Did he know this cat? "Umm..." he answered, not sure what to say.

The black cat chuckled. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Acidclaw. And you're Curse," he added.

Curse shook his head. He didn't care about this blind old cat. "Saltstar!" he called. "Are you..." he trailed off, twitching his ears toward her bulging belly. She looked away, then nodded curtly. He gasped.

"Are they... mine?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, I just_ love _breaking the warrior code so much that I go off with more toms!" she replied sarcastically, turning her head back to him, fury in her eyes. Then, realizing what she had just said, gasped and flicked her eyes around the clearing.

* * *

Everyone was staring at her. _Everyone_. Saltstar flopped down on her stomach, covering her eyes with her paws, not wanting to meet any of those accusing stares.

She heard Emberheart hiss at the loner, telling him to get out.

"Emberheart's right!" Stripedpelt mewed. "You have poisoned Saltstar!" He yowled furiously, and she heard the sound of paws scuffling in the dirt. She looked up and look her paws off her eyes. "No!"

Stripedpelt hurled himself at Curse, paws outstretched and claws unsheathed. But Curse was ready. He stepped nimbly out of the way, and her deputy hit the ground with a thud, but pulled himself to his paws, hissing and spitting.

Stripedpelt tried again, darting toward the loner, intending to attack him, but Curse swiped him with his claws, then leaped on top of him. Saltstar's view was obstructed in a whirl of flying fur as the two toms fought.

Then, as quick as it had started, it was over. Curse stepped back, blood on his claws. He looked as if he was in shock, staring down at the mound of striped fur in front of him.

Saltstar forced her eyes down to her deputy. She cried out when she saw him, and sprinted over, pushing Curse out of the way. She heard him turn and run into the forest. The other cats were still too shocked to follow him.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at Stripedpelt. He was laying on the ground, his fur laced with deep scratches. He was gasping for air, flanks heaving.

"Acidclaw!" Saltstar wailed, and the medicine cat stepped closer, but Stripedpelt coughed. "No," he meowed hoarsely. "It's too late for me. StarClan is calling my name."

Gazing up at her with stars in his eyes, her deputy took a few more breaths, then faltered and stopped, his head thudding back on the ground.

Stripedpelt was dead. Saltstar yowled her grief to the sky, while the rest of the Clan looked on.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. Several warriors whirled to face it, fur bristling, thinking it was Curse again. But Saltstar never saw who it was. A crippling pain gripped her belly, and she yowled again, this time in pain. Acidclaw immediately jumped into action, leading her toward her den, gesturing for Honeyfrost and Smokepaw to follow.

"The kits are coming," he murmered to his apprentice after they were in her den. "Fetch some borage." Then, turning to Smokepaw, he nodded his head toward the den entrance. "Guard the den." Smokepaw nodded and ducked out.

"Acidclaw..." Saltstar began, but yowled as more pain came. She collapsed in her moss nest, breathing heavily. Honeyfrost came back in, carrying leaves in her jaws.

"What's happening out there?" the medicine cat asked her.

"ShadowClan are attacking," Honeyfrost replied simply, dropping the leaves. ShadowClan! Saltstar struggled to get to her paws, but fell again.

She yowled. More pain. Acidclaw turned back to her and pushed the borage leaves toward her. "Eat these," he meowed. She gulped them down, then winced as more pain came.

* * *

After two kits had been succesfuly delivered, Saltstar was panting and licking her new kits at the same time as another slid out onto the floor. Acidclaw nudged it toward her, and she licked it, too.

Outside, she couldn't ignore the yowls and screeches of fighting cats, but what could she do? She was stuck here...

Smokepaw yowled from outside the den. Saltstar whipped her head around as Earthstar, leader of ShadowClan, burst in. His eyes flicked to the kits next to her belly, and he chucked. "Well, well, well," he snarled, grinning. "What do we have here?"


	5. Until the Day I Die

**Last chapter, hopefully, unless I feel like I need to add more. Sequel will be posted whenever I finish it ;) What? A sequel? Yes, but the name is TBA.****

* * *

**

**Earthstar sneered down at Saltstar and her kits. He reached out a paw, but before he could, Honeyfrost threw herself at him, yowling fiercely. Acidclaw joined her, clawing at the ShadowClan leader's sides.**

Saltstar stared helplessly as the two cats fought Earthstar, driving him out of the den. Her kits mewled, not knowing what was going on. She pushed them closer to her belly, raising her head as soon as they were comfortable.

Earthstar was gone. The medicine cat and his apprentice had driven him out, back into the battle that was going on just outside her den...

"I have to help them!" she yowled, trying to stand.

"You can't," Acidclaw mewed firmly, pushing her down with a paw. "Your kits need you more. The cats out there are experienced warriors, trained at fighting off intruders. Your kits are helpless, born only moments ago. Who do you think needs you more?" he asked pointedly, nuzzling one of the kits closer to her.

She sighed. "My kits, of course," she murmered. Any queen she ever saw had been bursting with joy when they had their kits, but she felt only a deep sadness. These kits were the children of Curse, the cat who had killed Stripedpelt and helped her break the warrior code.

"Acidclaw?" she began. He twitched his ears to show he was listening. "I... I can't keep these kits. I know they're mine, and I should love them, but I don't feel love. I only feel like I should take care of them just for the sake of taking care of them. It's hard to explain..." she trailed off.

Acidclaw nodded. "I see what you mean. What are you going to do?" Out of the corner of her eye, Saltstar watched Honeyfrost sprint out of the den. Saltstar was too tired and too focused on Acidclaw to care.

"I think... when they're old enough to eat fresh-kill, I'll try to find Curse. He can take care of them." She made sure not to show any affection in her voice. She hated Curse. She didn't exactly hate the kits though; it wasn't their fault their father was a murderer. She just couldn't watch them grow up.

The medicine cat sighed. "I can't say I approve of your choice... But they're your kits, and you'll do what's best."

In the clearing, the yowling and screeching died down. Saltstar couldn't help but wonder if all her warriors were dead and Earthstar won. But then she heard him yowling outside.

"ShadowClan, retreat!" There was the sound of muffled pawprints as the ShadowClan warriors uninjured enough to run escaped her camp.

She yawned. She didn't want to be, but she was tired. Acidclaw saw her, and told her to sleep.

"I can't sleep!" she protested. "I have to sit vigil for Stripedpelt and appoint a new deputy." He nodded, and helping her to her paws, led her out into the clearing, staying behind to watch the kits.

The clearing was a scene of absoloute disaster. There were cats everywhere, either moaning in pain or aiding the injured. Honeyfrost ran around frantically, giving herbs and cobwebs to any cat she saw.

"What's happened to my Clan?" Saltstar muttered to herself.

Acidclaw padded out behind her. "Your Clan is fine," he told her, a little sharply. "But right now, they need a leader they can depend on. And that leader needs a new deputy."

She nodded. "Right... sorry." Flicking her tail, she picked her way toward the Highrock.

As she walked, she couldn't help but notice the body of Stripedpelt, still laying near the entrance to the camp. She stopped, throat momentarily closed with grief, and dipped her head, pushing her nose into her deputy's fur.

"Oh, Stripedpelt, what will I do without you?" she whispered, closing her eyes.

She sighed and raised her head as she felt another cat's presence beside her. It was Honeyfrost, her own blue eyes clouded with grief. The gold she-cat bowed her head respectively, both for her leader and dead deputy.

"How is the Clan holding up?" Saltstar asked.

"No major injuries," Honeyfrost assured her. "But it's _you _I'm worried about, Saltstar. You just gave birth to kits, and now you're up and running around camp. It's not healthy."

Saltstar held back a hiss of annoyance. The gentle gold she-cat had meant nothing from her words, but the ThunderClan leader couldn't help but feeling angry. _She has no idea what I'm dealing with._

"I'm fine," Saltsar lied. "I couldn't just sit in my den and do nothing when my Clan had just been attacked. The least I can do is sit vigil for Stripedpelt and appoint a new deputy." She said the last part a bit too icily, but she didn't care. She turned and stalked away from Honeyfrost, toward Highrock.

She leaped on top and called the customary ritual: "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Most cats were uninjured enough to stand and limp over to sit beneath the Highrock. But a few just lay where they were, either too tired or too hurt to make an effort on standing.

_Is this what my Clan has come to?_ Saltstar thought in despair. _I'll take care of them, _she decided.

_I will lead you until the day I die._

**Meh, sort of a crappy ending. But I'm really excited about writing the sequel and I want to get this finished.**


End file.
